Game Summaries
Herein you will find the chronicles of adventures past, since the founding of Tavern Town in Guardian Vale... or in other words, here you can read short recaps of our previous narrative games! Summaries 1-49 were added, with our sincere thanks, by player Jake Nelson. Summaries 50 and onward are added by the admin team in collaboration with our players. 646 MR (2016) 1 - Weftward Bound Adventurers from across Scy'kadia converge on the relatively peaceful Guardian Vale, struggling to clear out resident monsters and bandits via a display of martial supremacy... taking the hill! Despite being outnumbered, the forces of the Camp of Shadow under the sultry and sinister Lady Gideon win the day. As reward for their victory, the Narga lead Gideon to the first of several shards, each belonging to a relic of Whalash... 2 - Relic Hunters All three camps manage to track down the relic's four pieces, forming a stone tablet for use in a Ruinous ritual. Driven by their earlier failings, the Camp of Light rally and capture the tablet, keeping it from Shadow's clutches... 3 - The Tablet Of Night Warriors of Light and Shadow scramble to collect what they need for conflicting rituals; one to destroy the tablet, the other to unleash unnatural darkness upon the vale. The Taverner, by request from a mysterious noble client, attempts to secure the relic for simple profit... but is eventually swayed by the beseeching words of both Hafthor and Audrey of Camp Light and assists in the tablet's destruction. During the course of events, Hrafn of Camp Light is turned to the side of Shadow, thus beginning a tale of lost souls and treachery... 4 - Getting Down To Business With the imminent threat of a dark ritual gone for now, the camps return to their treasure hunting ways. Hrafn's service to the Narga is cemented and he is unleashed against his once-allies for the first time, assisting the Orcs of Shadow Camp in their bloody search for elf ears. Beset by uncertainty, the forces of Light attempt to capture some Undead for Kree, the God of Death... but their desire to also appease the forgiving Golden Mother wins out and they release their captives. The Taverner places a bounty upon the capture of a poisoner active in the Vale. Finally, several runes of ancient elven origin appear in the bark of nearby trees and some clever scholarly adventurers manage to determine a translation... the rumored monster trapped beneath Guardian Hill seems to be waking up... 5 - The Tourney The mysterious noble client, revealed as Lord Strigos, resurfaces to sponsor a tournament. Beginning to foresee the trouble this noble could cause, The Taverner obliges him, hosting the event. Strigos watches through an arcane orb as events, sure enough, turn violent. Several fantastic duels ensue, whilst in the background a ritual is enacted upon the warrior Kochab, awakening the dormant demon Fen'hyrel within his blood. The Dwarf Dillia uses her hammer "Last Laugh" to destroy the viewing orb, nearly putting a stop to the entire tournament. Things swiftly spiral out of control, devolving into a swirling melee and in the midst of the chaos, Gideon traps Strigos' sight within a skull, before placing it within a sealed chest... blinding him... 6 - Plague Of Woes A plague called The Scarlet Hand begins to spread in Guardian Vale, putting strain on available antidote rations and scaring off many traders. Expecting Strigos' vengeful will to be involved, the camps each search for the source of the illness. Meanwhile, Camp of Light fail to rid the Vale of the demon Fen'hyrel, Camp of Shadow enact a ritual to hide themselves from Strigos' sorcerous activities, and yet more runes begin to appear in the landscape... this time they appear to be demonic in nature & they whisper that the recently spilled blood is assisting in the trapped monster's nearing wakefulness. At last, the source of the plague is discovered... the broken shell of Strigos' orb, still in the hands of Dillia and The Adventurers League... 7 - Defenders Of Light A sword of the God Voy'himloc is uncovered from Guardian Hill and the Camp of Light are quick to set up a defensive perimeter around it. Three loremasters devise three separate ways (rituals) of drawing the sword out of it's resting place... but they are waylaid by a troll and their research is lost, forcing the rival camps to go searching. A scheme is hatched by Strigos' agents to free him from Gideon's influence... they are successful, thanks largely to an unsuspecting mercenary and thief... Suspecting that the removal of the sword will somehow speed the waking process of Guardian Hill's captive monster, The Taverner organises a small army of mercs to drive through the forces of Light and secure the hill. The Taverner himself utters a ritual to drive the sword deep down into the ground from whence it came... but his magical abilities are taken with it... 8 - Bad Moon Rising Strigos, now freed and furious, puts a half dozen schemes in motion... he turns The Taverner into an owl, summons several agents into a small but elite warband, even tricks some members of Light Camp into supporting his vengeful ambitions. Thinking himself beyond defeat, Strigos comes to the vale in search of Gideon and the Nephilim healer Alexius... and is soundly defeated! The forces of Guardian Vale rally around their known leaders against the foreign invader, despite his use of their sometime allies. With the Blood Moon full overhead, the Shifters of the vale run amuck. When ensnared with a Relic of Strigos' devising, they become less chaotic, but continue to change hands... Strigos' one victory throughout the conflict is his spiteful murder of Maxwell Eisenhorn, who dies offering himself in exchange for his friend, Alexius. In the day's closing moments, the demons Fen'hyrel & Tempus (revealed to have been possessing Hrafn) unleash the enslaved Shifters, using them to capture Strigos for their own nefarious purposes... 9 - Dastardly Devils Fen'hyrel declares himself the king of the Weft, then he and Tempus try to subjugate all beneath their demonic thumbs. The beleaguered heroes of Guardian Vale suffer defeat after defeat against the demons, before finally managing to separate them long enough to bring each of them down. Tempus is ripped from Hrafn's body and imprisoned beneath Guardian Hill, sealing the beast in place and freeing Jo'v's magic, while Fen'hyrel is bound once again within Kochab the Broken's corrupted blood. 10 - The Map The Taverner announces to all and sundry that he has come into possession of an enchanted map of the Inner Weft, and plans to lead an expedition in search of treasure and glory! Surprisingly, he manages to retain possession of said map until the end of the day - and as preparations for the sojourn get underway, the observant note with unease that Rovic Vervidsen seems to have come into possession of an all too familiar item: the mask of Lord Strigos... 1st Weekender - Sojourn Weftward The Weftward expedition arrives near an old Weftyril fortification that houses a dormant portal - a portal that is beginning to activate. A pair of itinerant paladins of Lianda named Mary and Campbell join the adventurers - but as night falls, they turn into the very thing they swore to fight: vampire brood lords. On the first night, they feast on the blood of the living, leaving everyone "inexplicably" tired and weak the next morning. Jo'v urges folk to solve the mystery of a slain trader of his acquaintance, while Light seeks out Janus and finds him corrupted and insane - with the mark of an owl nearby. On the second night, the vampires are caught and subdued, and are horrified to learn what they had become. As the portal's power reaches its zenith the next day, the Taverner and a band of mercenaries and Light Camp adherents claim the fort and are whisked away to the frozen lands of Vylkland. 11 - The Hatchling On their trip through the Weftyril portal, the adventurers who journeyed to Vylkland picked up a stowaway: a gold dragon hatchling, which the Light Camp fire elementari Asher adopted as her own child and named Sparky. As news of this valuable creature spreads across the Vale, the various factions take up their arms and go once again to battle, with the hatchling as the prize. In the end, Sparky remains in Asher's custody thanks to a deal with Gideon. 12 - Atonement Displeased by recent transgressions on the part of their servants, the Gods demand the Camp of Light atone for their sins by bringing forth Gideon in chains. Meanwhile, Rovic and his cronies "persuade" more adventurers to swear oaths on Strigos' Mask... 13 - A Dread Eclipse Lord Strigos returns to take his revenge on those who defied him - inhabiting the body of Rovic, who has fallen completely under the sway of the Mask. Leading an army of bound thralls and a vicious Hellspawn, Strigos drives the defenders out of Tavern Town in an early victory - but the Hellspawn is captured in the battle and the Ruinous sceptre commanding it falls into the hands of our adventurers, depriving the wicked sorcerer of a key weapon which is later turned against him (and worse - revealed to be the missing Alexius, corrupted by a demonic ritual). The Vale's defenders rally and destroy both Strigos' mask and his severed head, the last anchors binding him to this world, before forcing his foul spirit out of Rovic's body and into Ruin, where Gideon imprisons him for (hopefully) all eternity... 14 - Little Beasties Not long after Strigos' demise, a band of demon-worshipping goblins kidnap the undead healer Keft and spread mischief and mayhem across the Vale. In the Camp of Light, the Gods have sent a new Sentinel, an elementari named Haruki - but Alexius remains trapped in the form of a hideous beast. The Camp of Light tracks down a message from the Golden Mother herself to restore him to his true form, but he is tormented by what he has done as a Hellspawn and left without his divine powers. 15 - Objects and Omens A daring coup orchestrated by Mortimus of the 37th Regiment of Foot ousts Jo'v from the Blinded Boar, as the swaggering Valarian mercenary appoints himself mayor of Tavern Town. Jo'v enlists the help of the other adventurers of the Vale to put Mortimus in his place and reclaim what is rightfully his. Meanwhile, Alexius sacrifices his energy to the Crown of the Martyr on his brow to revive a fallen ally, and regains his divine powers for this act of atonement. 647 MR (2016-2017) 16 - Tide of Shadow The Narga thirst for blood, and the forces of Shadow answer the call, taking up arms to gather as much of the vital fluid as possible from anyone they can find. The forces of Light beat back the darkness again and again (and find time, in the process, to calm the raging shifter Sonya Skadisdottir) - but Gideon's wiles, and a grand tournament, help the Voice of Ruin gather all the blood she needs regardless. 17 - Army at the Gates An army of marauding orcs masses south of the Vale, ready to sweep through and destroy and/or pillage everything in its path. Adventurers frantically search for a way to avert the coming carnage, and in the end, The Smiling Dragons gather enough coin to pay the horde to go somewhere else - just as an army of penitent knights summoned by the Camp of Light arrive to save the day. 18 - Howling Spirits As Geth's three moons come into conjunction, shifters in the Vale are unable to resist the Blood Moon's call and shed their humanoid forms. Spirits run wild, possessing unsuspecting mortals, and the power of magic begins to increase, with mages feeling an extra "kick" to their spells. Special flowers are said to be able to soothe the savage beasts, but the Camp of Light gathers and burns them, believing the shifters should be allowed to run free. As the sun sets, the Smiling Dragons claim the Weft stone and the spoils within the hill - but stumble upon more than they had bargained for... 19 - Dead By Sundown The Smiling Dragons emerge from the catacombs of Guardian Hill as mindless, shambling zombies bent on spreading their curse among the living. Judas Tor and Lord Victor take command of the horde in the name of Phlemortis and Zeleel, and find their ranks greatly bolstered after an ill-advised offensive by Jo'v against the Camp of Light ends in a bloody rout by the undead. Though the dwindling living adventurers of the Vale find a way to cure those afflicted, they can't administer it fast enough, and soon (with the help of a few treacherous mercenaries) almost all join the horde clawing at the walls of Tavern Town, trying to devour those huddled inside, before the relic that cursed them finally dissolves and sets them free. 20 - Elemental Calamity The wild magic running loose in the Vale reaches its peak, as Hrafn is revealed to have become a living locus. The Vale's elementari population is driven to mad obsession by the raw sorcery emanating from the half-elf's body, and abduct him to keep him safe from the predations of those who would exploit him - unfortunately, however, they fail, and Hrafn is slain by Gideon, putting an end to the wild magic. He is later resurrected by the Camp of Light within the Archon Wood, but will forever bear the scars... 21 - The Game After the recent tumultuous upheavals, the adventurers of the Vale take the opportunity to let their hair down with a tourney centred on a brutal but entertaining new sport: trollball! Other contests take place around the main event, including a Krakiid knife fight, a mages' duel, a battle royale, a test of faith, and an intriguing "Nether Duel" that casts the spirits of several mages into the realm of Nether to battle for arcane supremacy. 22 - Feast of Foul Fortune The Vale celebrates the holiday known as the "Golden Feast of Giving", but a dark pall hangs over the festivities as a mysterious plague of bad luck seems to grow worse with every passing hour. Adventurers set out to recover several valuable gifts from a ransacked caravan bound for a nearby exile kingdom, while Jo'v attempts to protect a rare Vylkland pine he has acquired to replace the treasures. It is revealed that Avner of Lindenvale became possessed by a malevolent wraith during the "Nether Duel" several weeks prior, which had been using him to create cursed relics from the stolen treasures. Avner is subdued and the wraith driven out, ending the bad luck - but unfortunately for Jo'v, the forces of Light abscond with the tree (though the stolen treasures are, in the end, recovered). Additionally, evidence is discovered of a monster stalking caravans in the area - though what it is remains yet unknown. 23 - Crusade With the dawn of a new era, the Camp of Light embarks on a holy offensive to make up for its recent setbacks. The servants of the Gods easily destroy a goblin-made shrine to the Narga and consecrate their own altar in defiance of the Nine - however, their victory is not complete, as in the day's dying moments the Sentinel Haruki is captured by the forces of Shadow. 24 - Wicked Sparks The Camp of Light reclaims their captured Sentinel early in the day, and the Vale's adventurers attempt to track down the scattered notes of a naturalist who had been savaged by the hippogriff threatening local traders. The Brotherhood of the Kraken seeks a missing ship (which they find burned by their foes in the 37th Regiment of Foot). Light exorcises a troublesome spirit from Kori Ryudon, while Shadow spends the day gathering loose imps - before launching a vicious attack and dragging Haruki away once more in chains. Duran Greyhand, formerly of Light, uses the Sentinel as fuel for a Ruinous ritual that destroys the Weft stone... and begins to siphon the magic from the area. 25 - Raiders As a Ruinous vortex gathers strength over the shattered Weft stone, draining sorcery from the Vale, a band of orcish raiders arrives to test the mettle of its defenders. With Jo'v missing, Gideon gone and Haruki having retreated, the Vale's adventurers nonetheless rout the orc band and capture its leader Grimbad, who reveals that they had been paid by a Thaedian ex-commander named Lynus Kartor to abduct Jo'v and scout the Vale's strength. Meanwhile, tensions between the Brotherhood of the Kraken and the 37th Regiment of Foot boil over into all-out warfare, the Kraken seeking Valarian blood in revenge for its burned ship; and unscrupulous tavern owner Beetle steals the Camp of Light's beloved dragon hatchling Sparky. 26 - The Celestial The Ruinous vortex reaches its height, with mages unable to perform even the simplest of cantrips - but into the Vale strides some unexpected aid for the Camp of Light. Alexius has returned from a long journey, and with him appears to be none other than Maxwell Eisenhorn, returned from the dead. In truth, however, this is a celestial wearing Maxwell's form, and to the dismay of his former friends, he sacrifices himself to end the vortex's grip on the Vale's magic. With that threat nullified, Light and the Brotherhood of the Kraken set their sights on recovering Sparky during an auction where Beetle plans to sell him to the highest bidder. They rescue the dragon and cure him of his poisoning, and in retaliation, Asher obliterates Beetle's tavern with a rune of arcane fire - for which she is arrested, to be placed on trial by the Camp of Light for destruction of property... 27 - The Pack After a month of wild weather batters the Vale, Jo'v leaves to investigate, placing Gideon (temporarily) in charge of Tavern Town. The Blood Moon grows full, and the local shifters run rampant, killing and/or maiming everything that crosses their path. Adventurers suffer heavy losses dealing with the rampaging pack, and are unable to quell the beasts' rage by day's end - the pack breaks down the doors of Tavern Town and ravages its defenders, leaving the people of Guardian Vale waiting anxiously for the moon to wane. 28 - Trial and Tribulation The long-awaited trial finally arrives. Jo'v summons Asher, Beetle, and their defenders to determine just who was most responsible for the destruction of the Tipsy Pixie. Speaking for Beetle, Duran and Thifgrim Stormchaser argue that Asher's actions injured not just Beetle, but those whose livelihoods and possessions were in the Pixie - and that the shifter York may have been inside at the time. In rebuttal, Alexius points out that it was Beetle who escalated the situation to the point where Asher snapped, by kidnapping and tormenting Sparky for weeks. After deliberation by three neutral jurors, it is determined that both were partly responsible. Beetle and Asher will each have to pay for a share of the damages; in addition, Beetle will be poisoned with something similar to what he afflicted Sparky with, and Asher will have to help recover York's remains. Meanwhile, Haruki, driven by the commands of the Gods, leads Light on a crusade to force Ruinous healers, dark mages, and cambions to repent and be cleansed of their evil; and Shadow, sensing a demonic tide approaching, prepares themselves for the dark days to come... 29 - Monsters Within, Monsters Without A surge of Ruinous magic ripples outward from the Inner Weft, which results in a rare and terrible sight: three true demons of Gorgos, unleashed on the Guardian Vale. One by one they assault the defenders of Light and Tavern Town - but a more sinister threat lurks among the defenders. Lesser demons have escaped Ruin as well, and taken up residence in the bodies of the Spellsword Thaddeus J. Smithington-Smythe, and Marinka and Malkior of the Brotherhood of the Kraken. As Gorgos' monsters wreak obvious havoc, the insidious infiltrators whisper behind the defenders' lines, sowing chaos and discord. In the end, the 37th Regiment of Foot lead the charge to slaughter the greater demons, while Thaddeus is exorcised by the Honest Vale Trading Company - though Marinka and Malkior flee to the protection of Shadow. Meanwhile, a ritual performed by the HVTC causes much irritation as every scrap of silver in the Vale is transmuted to weigh down its bearer; and the hapless pixie reporter Blue tries - with little success - to evade the wrath of Gideon for a most unflattering depiction in his newspaper. 30 - No Thanks For Heroes With Haruki absent, the Camp of Light rallies around his fellow wood elementari Clementine to destroy a trio of Ruinous monuments upon Guardian Hill, and succeeds - thus finally dissipating the tide of demonic energy that yet lingered. With that mission accomplished, war is waged over the bodies of several pixies who had met their untimely demise - one is resurrected by Langat, but another ends up a snack for the dark elf shifter Blaez. Meanwhile, Blue's disguise as "Blorf the Dwarf" entirely fails to deliver him from his tormentors; local bard Bronwyn seeks help recovering pages stolen from her songbook (each with strange riddles written on them); the elementari Bannin slits Hrafn's throat (again); and the 37th, while on the warpath against Light and Shadow alike (including one temporary abduction of Gideon herself), find themselves afflicted by a strange and embarrassing curse that makes them deathly afraid of their own firearms and forces Kaiz to refer to himself as "Slappy Tinklebottom" - and all this on the anniversary of their arrival in the Weft! 31 - Of Ghosts & Glory As wayward ghosts, disturbed from their rest, drift into the Vale to haunt the living, the local adventurers engage in a day of scheming and bloody battles. The Camp of Light attempts to press the advantage granted by Clementine, empowered by Taeyaloo, to plant a shrine to Gowlur in the Sneak's Wood - but the Ruinous poisoner Clair Nuire captures her former friend and corrupts her magical might, turning the elementari against her allies until Light manages to save her. The unquiet dead trick the living into helping them ensnare an elf mage named Echo, recently returned to flesh after wandering as a ghost for centuries, and temporarily shrive her of her mortal shell once again until the Tavern Guard destroy the spectral culprit's anchor and free her from the spirit realm. The Taverner and Beetle engage in a game of bluffing, wheeling and dealing over a relic necklace and the antidote to Beetle's poisoning (his punishment from the trial), only for the Brotherhood of the Kraken to take the amulet for themselves and use it to transform Thifgrim Stormchaser into a hideous tentacled monstrosity that requires the might of the entire Vale to bring down. The 37th sets out to honour the spirits of their deceased ancestors, collectively known as the "Soul of Valar", which includes breaking the curse placed upon them by none other than the spellsword Thaddeus - his revenge for a laundry list of grievances. Blue, spurred on by powers granted by his pixie brethren, punishes Gideon and Shadow with a series of pranks - though the last one backfires when it gives Shadow enough time to hold off one last push by Light to plant their shrine. And lastly, the skull of an Arkhosian necromancer named Churleon Gult goes missing, along with the shifter Deimos... 32 - Tavern Brawl With a number of upstart taverns cropping up throughout the Vale, conflict soon erupts over - of all things - several barrels of rare dwarven ale, desired by just about everyone. In the end, after much scheming and battle, Jo'v, Light, and Shadow each end up with a barrel to call their own. Meanwhile, seers and oracles begin seeing dire warnings of an approaching threat: flaming swords, hideous cackling, madness, a full blood moon, and the number nine... 33 - Madness Ascendant The great threat foreseen by the oracles of the Vale finally arrives - a twisted Valkyrie of Balrof, driven to Ruinous madness by Lokus the Cackler and bound within the body of a nameless warrior. With a horde of adventurers at his side driven mad by their own derangements, as well as defenders who had fallen before him and been bound to his will, the Valkyrie lays waste to both the Camp Of Shadow and the Camp Of Light (overcoming the best efforts of their inhabitants) with barrels of explosive powder. Despite this, Light wins two not-insignificant victories - finally purging Oblitus and Ranus of their evil halves. Meanwhile, the Blood Moon is full, and the Vale's shifters run rampant under the leadership of Deimos - who is strangely lucid, for a moon-form shifter. As it transpires, he has fallen fully under the control of Churleon Gult, who uses his body and his own necromantic powers to raise an army of his own. In the end, the Camp of Shadow removes Gult's influence and wrests control of a pair of shifters from the pack, then uses them to tear to pieces a wandering monk who had arrived in the Vale - the last shard of sense and reason the Valkyrie had possessed, set free and given mortal form. With the monk's death, the Valkyrie is defeated, and sanity (such as it is) returns to the Vale - temporarily, anyway... 34 - The Pieces Gather With the forward camps of both Light and Shadow left in smoking ruins after the mad Valkyrie's rampage, their loyal followers venture forth to find material to rebuild. Shadow amasses more than enough, while Light scrapes together everything they need by the skin of their teeth. Meanwhile, tokens from three mysterious patrons show up in the Vale - two crossed keys belonging to Countess Delavaen of Arkhos, claimed by Blue and Avner; a lion belonging to an old adversary, Lynus Kartor of the Thaedian Legion, claimed by the Chosen of Shadow; and a grey owl belonging to an unknown lord, claimed by the Honest Vale Trading Company... 35 - Final Preparations Envoys of the three patrons appear to exhort their followers to recruit more for their armies - the goal: an expedition into the Inner Weft! Though two of the parties are slightly confused, as Kartor's envoy meets with the HVTC, while the envoy of one "Lord Strickland" seeks out Shadow instead... regardless, all three feverishly conscript and cajole adventurers into their vanguard forces and, in a prelude to the battles to come, clash again and again over that classic old prize - Guardian Hill! Meanwhile, local bard Diego Buenaventura seeks help from adventurers to piece together a drunken night and finish a new magnum opus; a number of adventurers find themselves brutally maimed and tortured at the hands of Shadow; and Jo'v invites adventurers of all stripes to test their mettle in swordcraft, stealth and song. 2nd Weekender - A War of Three After days of battling monsters on their way to the Inner Weft, the advance forces of the three patrons, accompanied by their envoys, converge on a collection of ruined buildings from the old human kingdom of Yenrad, which fell around the end of the Time of Mage Blight. The focus of everyone's attention: a mysterious fort, now mostly rubble and loose stone, which nonetheless occupies all three sides as they vie for its capture; meanwhile, in between attacks by shard hounds and grand melee tournaments, Jo'v and those caught in the middle try to find out just what the sard is going on. After a terrifying attack by wraiths at night, the second day dawns and brings with it plenty of secrets: Countess Delavaen, a nephilim, is afflicted by a Ruinous curse; Legate Lithia, Kartor's envoy, is rumoured to have draconic scales; and nobody ''seems to know what Lord Strickland is up to, outside his necromancer envoy's (widely disbelieved) claims that he is simply an archaeology enthusiast - but everyone discovers that the fort conceals the bones of an ancient dragon. Further shocks ensue at an impromptu ball thrown by Gideon, at which all three envoys are poisoned with hallucinogenic mushrooms - and Rovic, returned from his travels, is accused of planting the mask of Lord Strigos (or one that looks ''very much like it) on Drako, the envoy of Lord Strickland. The Vylklander agrees to a dance with Gideon herself, which ends when the Voice of Ruin guts him and leaves him to die on the floor, surrounded by horrified onlookers. On the third day, as the main armies of each patron approach, the expedition descends into an all-out frenzied brawl as Countess Delavaen's followers, led by envoy Harkaleon Grailward and bolstered by the 37th, who defected from Kartor, desperately fend off a siege by Kartor and Strickland's depleted vanguards (who are themselves bolstered by a fearsome ogre commanded by an inquisitive Thaedian philosopher). As the dust finally settles, the armies arrive to find the Countess's troops, bloodied and battered but defiantly holding the fort with crossed-key banners flying high. Lord Strickland, revealed to be a wizened old man, heads a horde of... scholars and archaeologists, who shrug their shoulders and go home. Less agreeable is Lynus Kartor, a powerfully-built man with draconic scales and reptilian eye, who sneers at his captured envoy as the Countess's knights and templars rush in to secure the fort completely. The Countess, true to her envoy's promises, leads her army in the excavation and destruction of the dragon bones, thus ensuring they could never be used for any fell purpose - but as Kartor leaves, the adventurers are left with the distinct impression that this matter might not quite be over... 36 - Troublesome Returns As the wearied adventurers return home from the Yenrady ruins, they are greeted by a band of Vylkland raiders from the town of Skovby, led by Andariel Ingridsen and his husband Eadwulf Andersen, seeking fortune and glory (and relics). Said relics change hands multiple times over the course of the day as pitched battles break out all over the Vale. Meanwhile, Jo'v seeks information on several newcomers; a number of people die gruesome deaths; and the ever-credulous Blue is convinced by a pair of dashing rapscallions that he has phenomenal and dangerous arcane power (literally) at his fingertips. 648 MR (2017-2018) 37 - Pride and Consequence With Jo'v "dead" by the hand (specifically, finger) of Blue, "Blorf the Dwarf" makes a not-so-triumphant return to the Vale, complete with a pasta strainer helmet, as an old friend of the Taverner's - a dwarf cleric of Kree named Torok - comes in search of his "killer". The hapless pixie eventually confesses to his heinous crime, whereupon he is informed that Jo'v was never dead and he should really be more careful about the nonsense he chooses to believe in future. Meanwhile, the followers of Light find themselves on the receiving end of their gods' wrath; the 37th are hunted by forces seeking their capture; the Grinning Blades suffer at the hands of Shadow and the new company of Black Thorns; Maia has seven hells beaten out of her for her torturing ways; Shadow performs a draconic ritual; Thaddeus struggles to promote good sword safety; and alchemist-assassin Jorska seeks adventurers willing to smack each other with a severed arm for his amusement. 38 - Killer Competition Jo'v celebrates his return from the "grave" with another tournament, combining Trollball with a grand melee - both events handily won by the forces of Shadow. As the games unfold, however, a mystery lurks in the shadows - a young pale-haired elf girl was murdered with a rare and gruesome poison from the Fey Ring Isles, and she was last seen with a figure of short to medium height, dressed all in black. After eliminating a couple of the usual suspects, the finger of suspicion points to Thousand Eyed Chiropt, lately departed from the Vale - but with no solid evidence either way... Meanwhile, Axel the alchemist is restored to his flesh after the forces of Light drive out the demon that had taken his body; Kori Ryudon reverts to his former, less congenial personality Xalicos, but is set right by his brothers of the Kraken; an old Crone from the Inner Weft demands reparations from the adventurers who so rudely invaded her home during the War of Three; and Beetle is taught a lesson in why one does not attempt to abscond with the proceeds of the Kraken's bookmaking operation. 39 - Horsing Around A strange curse brings a trio of addled and vicious "reverse centaurs" to the Vale, who stampede around wreaking havoc and mayhem (despite being captured several times) before the forces of Light, led by The Wardens of the Vale, manage to lock them down and send them back to their herd for treatment. Meanwhile, Shadow seeks the missing Voice of Ruin; the Wardens liberate their captured friend Filius from the demon-worshippers' clutches; Hamr the tavern guard finds himself in an unwelcome engagement with a certain Crone; and Chiropt sends an exploding bard to spy on the Vale. 40 - Dead By Moonlight A plague demon of Phlemortis is birthed into the world, inhabiting the body of a fallen paladin, which causes the necromancers of the Vale to find their spells curiously... infectious. As the blood moon shines full once again, Light and the 37th join forces with several other adventurers who wish to remain living and try to uncover the source of the undead plague. Though their efforts to exorcise the demon prove fruitless, they are able to keep the zombie scourge largely contained and seize the hill by nightfall. Meanwhile, Shadow's efforts to perform a ritual for their missing Voice of Ruin are thwarted by their godly foes; the late Bannin bequeaths his riches to whosoever finds his three rings; and the Vale's rogues engage in various acts of skulduggery. 41 - Something Borrowed The big day has arrived - Hamr the tavern guard is to be wed to Latrine the crone! The adventurers of the Vale gather to celebrate the unlikely union... but alas, when the ceremony begins, a certain alchemist slips the groom some Shifter's Lament in his drink, and the blushing bride becomes a bleeding-out bride in short order. Hamr is subdued and reverted to human form, but there's no saving Latrine, much to her poor granddaughter's grief and anger. Meanwhile, an angry elemental searches for some lost Yenrady scrolls; Shadow seizes and destroys a relic bell from Light; the plague demon raises - and then loses - an army; and Gideon finally makes her long-awaited return. 42 - All Work, No Play Haruki has been captured, and his only hope is for Light to find a map to his location and the key to his cell. Unfortunately, their severely depleted numbers mean the godly warriors are no match for Shadow, and they fail to retrieve either of these items - leaving their Sentinel in chains in the Sneak's Wood. Meanwhile, Jo'v seeks truesilver bricks to add to the walls of the Blinded Boar, most of which end up in the hands of marauding orcs; Jorska distributes poisonous bombs that will go off if held still; and a sporting grand melee is disrupted by a vampire with a cask of venom. 43 - Seeds of Doubt The day dawns dark and cloudy, with ominous news: seers across the Vale have dreamed of betrayal, and stolen faces. As the adventurers ponder what this could mean, the forces of Shadow drag Haruki, beaten, bloodied and tortured, out to the Weft stone. To the surprise of their enemies in Light, Shadow gives up the Sentinel without much of a fight (though with plenty of jeering and taunting) - though battle comes soon after, interrupted only by the detonation of a cask of poison, courtesy of Axel. A lull falls as the camps lick their wounds, and the hunt for the face-stealers continues - but not long after Jo'v and his alchemists concoct an antidote, all turns to chaos as a chorus of hideous screams erupts all over the Vale. Almost twenty adventurers, having bound servants to their will, reveal themselves as plant-based doppelgangers sent to capture victims for their "mother" to feast on. They retreat, fighting, to the Treelings, where one impersonating Hrafn had earlier performed a ritual to protect them, with the help of the spore clone of Edward and the unwitting help of Malkior, from what turns out to be their greatest enemy: fire. Though the spore-creatures fight viciously, turning adventurers left and right, the battle ends when their leader - the one impersonating Alexius - is taken down and burned to ash. The rest are swiftly massacred, and soon after, the originals return, weary and sickened (and largely nude) from their ordeal. The day draws to a close with a return to normalcy - fighting between Light and Shadow, and the capture of the hill... though, in a rare twist, it is Jo'v and a group of new adventurers, working with the Brotherhood, who claim the prize. 44 - A Game of War The Golden Feast of Giving has come again, but the Vale is in no mood for peace and love. With his missing adventurers returned, Haruki rallies the forces of Light to punish Shadow for his imprisonment and torture, while Gideon and Shadow are determined to wipe out their godly foes once and for all. Jo'v, seeing the civilians of Tavern Town caught in the middle, raises an army of his own to demonstrate to both sides where the Vale's true strength lies. Each side anoints a champion, empowered with supernatural might to lay their enemies low: Sigurd of Light, Corax of the 37th, and Galanath of Shadow. Bolstered by the arrival of new followers, Light wins a string of victories against both Shadow and Tavern Town, seizing and holding a locus of power on Guardian Hill for much of the day and defending it against all comers - interrupted by sudden treachery from within Tavern Town's ranks, when Edward D'eath of the Brotherhood reveals himself to be an assassin of the Ruinous Cult of the Night Hawk, sent to kill Jo'v himself. Edward is executed for his trouble by tavern guard Hamr and his body burned away to nothing. In the day's dying moments, minions of Shadow steal a pair of relics: the last two fragments of Haruki's soul, which had steadily been destroyed over the course of months. In a ferocious duel, Gideon strikes Haruki down and - before Light can stop her - runs him through, killing the Sentinel where he lies. Enraged and grief-stricken, Light pours from its position on the hill to punish the followers of the Nine, leaving the 37th to capture its power. Corax finds himself the host of an ancient elven spirit, temporarily severed from his connection to the ancestor-ghosts of the Soul of Valar. As Light mourns that night, an unnatural storm portends to many that perhaps their time in the Weft is over - but as dawn breaks, a new figure strides into their camp, a blind, scarred elf wielding a mighty greatsword in an arm of living stone. A new Sentinel has arrived - and one that seems far less peaceful than the old... 45 - Stormy Beginnings A powerful storm approaches the Vale - but mysteriously turns aside and dissipates at the last moment, leading many to suspect sorcerous intervention. Indeed this seems to be the case, with the Weft's mages finding their lightning spells worryingly powerful, and the hunt is on for the person or persons to blame. Eventually Causter and Szebastion are found responsible, and attempt a ritual to undo their meddling - but it backfires spectacularly, as evidently there was a third mage involved, who remains at large. With their new Sentinel busy fortifying Archon Wood, the Camp of Light holds a service for his fallen predecessor. Outnumbered and exhausted, Light finds it impossible to retain possession of a Ruinous dagger, as Shadow and an army of mercenaries continually overwhelm them - complicating matters is the fact that whoever wields the dagger refuses to give it up, or even acknowledge they hold it. After a valiant attempt to reclaim it, Light loses it for the final time as Shadow claims the hill as well. Meanwhile, Galanath finds his patience tested while trying to uncover who wrote him a strange love letter; a number of troublesome (and not-so-troublesome) denizens of the Vale find themselves on the receiving ends of bounties; and many adventurers find themselves wondering where one can get a glass of dog milk around here. 46 - Bards and Buboes A Ruinous plague, courtesy of Phlemortis, sweeps through Guardian Vale leaving veteran adventurers with uncomfortable memories of the Scarlet Hand (and everyone with a lot of itching, coughing, and hallucinations). Healers from Light and the neutral factions spring into action, curing often-recalcitrant patients and checking the spread of the sickness so that only one hapless adventurer is left infected by day's end. The new Sentinel of the Gods, Lojosalfr Illir, takes to the field for the first time, and Light rallies under his leadership to capture and destroy the Ruinous dagger that had previously fallen into the wrong hands; they also find time to perform a ritual to (finally) put an end to the wild storm magic that was afflicting the Vale's mages. As all this is going on, the Pixie Press puts on a grand spectacle: a 'Battle of the Bards', where entertainers pit their skills against one another for fabulous prizes. Though the event is marred by the raging disease, Diego Buenaventura eventually prevails with a rousing song from his homeland about the hero Don Quixote... before hallucinating that he ''is ''Don Quixote, stealing Jo'v's sword, recruiting Zarael as his Sancho Panza, and getting himself stabbed for his trouble. Meanwhile, Drazhoath is harassed by assassins for no discernible reason; Diego seeks both interesting stories and help with a frustrating puzzle; and rumours of Cass'an Dra's death turn out to be greatly exaggerated. 47 - Clash of Faith Healers of Light, Shadow, the 37th and the Kraken are gifted with visions - rituals to honour their patrons for rich rewards. After much wheeling, dealing and generalised skulduggery, Shadow beats everyone else to the punch in the day's dying moments to summon a greater demon of Trarchor, after which everyone else beats and punches said demon until it explodes, resulting in no net increase to the Vale's demon population. Meanwhile, a troublesome silver coin is disposed of; Drazhoath receives some unwanted surgery; and Galanath finds a worthy opponent in the new Sentinel. 48 - An Alchemist's Folly The Blood Moon waxes for the first time in the year, and with Jo'v dealing with an "accident" of Jorska's that has blocked access to the vault, it's up to the Rhuu alchemist to find a solution to the rampaging shifters. Adventurers bring down the marauding beasts and gather materials for Jorska's secret weapon: a "beastbane bomb" that, when set off by the 37th, neutralises all but one of the pack (and takes out a hefty chunk of the Vale's population in the process). Meanwhile, Rhuu New Year is "celebrated" in "style"; Chiropt performs community service; and Mortimus' long quest for dog milk finally comes to an end. 49 - Memories of Elfdom Across the Vale, elf-blooded adventurers dream strange dreams of a floating city and elfdom in all its ancient glory. Rallying behind Corax (formerly of the 37th), the elves storm Tavern Town and briefly capture Jo'v, before the Taverner is freed and Corax interrogated. It transpires that he has become host to an elven spirit named Encariel, who wishes to tear Tavern Town from the ground and build his floating city anew - but when a silver orb he carries is broken and the elves he has enthralled see a final vision of Encariel turning the power of Ruin on that city, his ensorcellment is broken and his kin help lay him low. Following a stern talking-to by the Sentinel of the Gods, Encariel sees the error of his ways and leaves the half-elf's body, his millennia-old quest abandoned at long last. Meanwhile, Blue returns after a long absence (and quickly gets into trouble again); a band of orcs seek to round up smallfolk for a fighting ring; and a pair of enterprising craftsmen market new weapons to the Weft's mages. 50 - Giant! Thunderous footfalls sound over the horizon, announcing the approach of a foe unlike any faced by the Vale's adventurers before: a monstrous giant! As the populace scrambles to find a way to slay or drive off the brute, three dwarven siblings set challenges for potential hirelings to accompany them on an expedition Weftward. Cunning Haldrout seeks fellow thieves and scoundrels to steal a sign from Jo'v, a task won by Jonathon Darkwater, Garion, and newcomer Lilyanne. Arcanist Ozmaline tests mages' skill at bewitching the minds of orcs and elves, and is most impressed by Vex’ara, Thaddeus, and Bunter. Martially-minded Bifrok just throws warriors into a grand melee and lets the gods sort them out, with Zarael and Siv fighting off a dozen opponents to claim a joint victory. The day draws to a close, and the giant problem grows more and more in need of solution. With attempts to bribe him foiled by the forces of Shadow, and attempts to talk him down violently unsuccesful, the assembled militia charges into battle. Thanks in part to a disturbing illusion of an amorous lady giant conjured by Thaddeus at a crucial moment, the ragtag army lays the colossus low - though not without paying a heavy price. Many adventurers are left maimed by the monster. Meanwhile, servants of the Narga thwart a divine ritual; Darmon of the 37th sheds his demonic influence; and some mysterious etched wooden coins became cause for alarm. 51 - Famine and Fury The giant that threatened the Vale lies dead, but it's left a host of problems in its wake. Many of those who fought to bring it down are wounded, and worse still... not only are traders avoiding the area, leading to a food shortage, but Gorgos, pleased with the slaughter, has sent a blood-scented wind to empower his followers! Servants of the Bloodletter, as well as Phlemortis and Lokus, waylay anyone and everyone they can find to spill blood in the Narga's names, while around them, the various factions scramble to secure supplies for their troops - with varying degrees of success. Amid the slaughter and starvation, Jo'v hosts a tourney to keep spirits up; Jorska seeks a set of dangerous and erratic magical crystals; Lusa breathes her last, her soul claimed by the gods; and a mysterious figure called "Erzl" causes brief consternation. 52 - Of Cakes and Portals With the portals of Guardian Hill going haywire, our adventurers fought through the drizzle to secure buried prizes. The 37th allied themselves with the camp of Light, making for a one-sided struggle... until the portals grew even more chaotic, splitting the coalition across more space than they could easily hold. Some who ventured into the subterranean ruins discovered treasure, others knowledge, and still more emerged with greater power than when they began the delve. As the battles took place; followers of Gowlur enacted a ritual to restore a healer called Mim’s lost leg, Shadow Camp had several “harsh words” with a pair of Ruinous misfits, local thieves attempted a slew of daring heists, and the cake competition was a smashing success (despite the mass poisoning that resulted), bringing smiles to many a face. The winner of said Contest was newcomer Arieanna. 53 - A Terrible Song With a flood of new adventurers entering Guardian Vale, our local heroes set about tracing the source of a sudden Siren infestation... a mysterious green rock. The monstrous songstresses fought viciously to protect their stony prize, yet also found plenty of time to gather admirers and cause general mayhem around Tavern Town. Further chaos ensued, as the rogue named Koro set into motion the final stages of a diabolical plan to assassinate Guardian Vale’s camp leaders. The Taverner and The Sentinel were both slain, their souls trapped within specially-crafted daggers, yet Gideon avoided this fate, instead turning her would-be attacker into a ritual component and summoning a powerful guard in the process. Members of the 37th Regiment made use of the temporary leadership void, attempting to stake a claim on Tavern Town and even prevent the resurrection of The Taverner, but Jorska thwarted that near single-handedly, protecting Tavern Town from the would-be usurpers. Eventually, two Healers were able to sacrifice their strength to draw back the slain souls, and Mortimus of the 37th (having just endured the failure-by-sabotage of a ritual to restore his lost eye) was taken into custody. With the day drawing to a close, a coalition of almost every faction in Guardian Vale advanced on the Sirens and their admirers. Though some characters pleaded to deal with the creatures peacefully (or to use an emergent portal to relocate them), the frustrated attackers tore their way through to the green rock, allowing a mage named Causter to destroy it. Thus weakened without the strange object, the Sirens made a dramatic escape into the tunnels beneath Guardian Hill. A bard named Diego, having convinced some folk to help him build a shrine to his lesser deity The Singer, is reportedly taking credit for the Sirens’ flight. 3rd Weekender - Kartor's Revenge Our adventurers travel Weftward under the employ of three Dwarven relatives; each of which seek to enrich themselves with excavated treasure and foil their familial rivals. The expeditions begin promisingly enough, with plenty of skirmishes, run ins with an elemental golem guardian, the discovery of mysterious Yenrady glyphs, and a fireside bardic competition by night. Yet as the days wear on, a troupe of seemingly common mercenaries are revealed to be none other than Legate Kartor (out for revenge) and several of his strongest soldiers. After testing the battlefield mettle of the three camps, Kartor summons the various faction leaders to a sit down discussion, in an attempt to gain their trust. Some are very much swayed by the charming Thaedian, whilst others hold to their doubts. That same night, Kartor hosts a ball rife with intrigue; displaying his arcane strength to intimidate his doubters, unveiling several hostages (the Dwarven employers, Taverner, and a well liked Rhuu named Jorska), and running several duels for entertainment... during the last duel, the Taverner is tricked into fatally poisoning Jorska. Our adventurers take matters into their own hands with a slew of concerted rescue efforts that see the hostages (barring poor Jorska) freed. The Yenrady glyphs are also deciphered, leading to a powerful relic hammer. As the final day dawns, Kartor's soldiers attempt to fight their way through each of the camps to reach his awaiting army. Kartor is soundly defeated however, and is slain in single combat by Galanath, who has been chosen to wield the mighty relic hammer. 54 - The Jackel Cometh Having just returned to Guardian Vale from their Weftward expedition, our adventurers fought greedily over the relics they brought back. Matters were made even worse by a powerful but mysterious Undead named The Jackal who seemed willing to bargain for relics of his own, and whose sorcery drove local wights and vampires into a frenzy. Even an impromptu team-tournament held in Tavern Town did little to stem the tide of violence and theft, with two large scale battles breaking out mere feet from the camps of both Light and Shadow. By day’s end, an accord seemed to have been reached wherein several factions, under the Jackal’s guidance, would descend on the Taverner, intent on stealing his Wand Of Smiting. Despite a hasty withdrawal, the Tavern Guard and Kraken Brotherhood found themselves surrounded, and the wand was soon laid in The Jackal’s cold hands. Yet more took place. A pair of Spellsword investigators arrived in The Vale. The Sentinel defeated the Voice Of Ruin in a fast moving duel. Several adventurers worked to discover the Jackal’s identity, purpose, and weaknesses. Pan Zor found himself back in the stocks. Saerina traded her necromancy for a serpentine relic. Njal, after a knee-capping from The Taverner, got his revenge in the form of a distinct silver ring. 55 - Spellslingers The day began with a swarm of new adventurers, hailing all the way from Arkhos to Lo’Quai, making themselves known in Tavern Town. Many set off in pursuit of precious trinkets, intending to test themselves, and perhaps earn some geld in the process. Others sought information on behalf of The Taverner. With unfamiliar faces scurrying about, preparations for the much-anticipated Mage Tournament continued... drawing the ire of Fundun, a notoriously anti-magical God. Alexius led a small delegation on behalf of the Camp of Light to first demand a stop to any frivolous use of spellcraft, and when that did not work, to negotiate an alternative. Meanwhile, in the Camp of Shadow, Galanath drew his weapon on The Voice Of Ruin, and was violently cast out by his former comrades... before winding up in the care of a divided Camp of Light; half the heroes supporting Fundun’s wishes, half opposing them. The competing Mages gathered and Alexius was permitted to make one last plea to the crowd. He insisted that a competition of physical skill, such as smithing, would make a suitable replacement... yet Cassan’dra’s pro-magic rebuttal seemed more to the crowd’s liking. The Taverner conjured an artificial locus on the field, and the tournament began. At first tentative, the Mages soon warmed to their loci-enhanced powers, ducking and weaving as arcane bolts sailed through the air... until only four remained, each a member of the Kraken Brotherhood. Suddenly, The Agrarian Brotherhood and several allies dashed onto the field, intent on disrupting the event. Despite the element of surprise, they were repelled by an impromptu warband of Tavern Guards and newly arrived mercenaries, allowing the Krakiids to finish their sorcerous duel, with Malkior emerging the winner. The Sentinel, seeking to assuage Fundun, now urged his followers to capture the Mages who had competed. Hrafn protested by destroying the list of Mages, and was banished for his hindrance. Dissatisfied with the state of affairs The Pride Of Skovby and The Wardens declared themselves no longer part of the Camp of Light. As the day drew to a close, forces converged on Guardian Hill, and a swirling battle ensued. Maia of the Camp Of Shadow and Vex’ara of the Honest Vale Trading Company saturated the fight with zombified thralls, whilst elsewhere Galanath was brutally slain by Althear, only to be resurrected at the last moment by Gilly and her Lianda-given healing. Finally, Maia was sneakily incapacitated, resulting in the loss of dozens of zombies, and allowing the Honest Vale Trading Company to claim the portal. 56 - The Next Step As the Camp Of Light reorganized itself, all were caught unawares as Shifters began to transform and attack their allies... it seemed the recently-created locus had dulled the local Shifters' ability to sense a coming blood moon. Wyl, an Elementari, set about gathering ingredients to make beastbane potion, and revert the transformed Shifters. A new faction known as the Hounds Of Kree were tasked with bringing some local bandits to heel, yet the Taverner was unimpressed when it appeared they had struck a deal, rather than choosing to fight the brigands. The forces of Light, particularly the Gowlur worshiping Agrarian Fellowship, managed to recover a statuette of their forest God from the Shifters. Gideon's Shadow forces failed to uncover a demon hidden within a local fortune teller, yet her followers of Gorgos embarked on a glorious rampage, drawing blood for their Ruinous patron. 57 - Sacrifices The forces of Shadow captured a pair of travelers, intending to use them in a dread ritual. The captives changed hands many times throughout the day, until finally, they were rescued by the forces of Light. Meanwhile, a group of Valarians called Valar Reborn attempted to strip the demonic influence from their new "ally" Hollis, learning far too late that he had tricked them... Hollis disrupted their efforts and absorbed dozens of souls belonging to the Valarian's ancestors. In Tavern Town, notorious troublemaker Axel got a pair of fingers broken... punishment for freeing a murderer held captive by the Tavern Guard. Finally, for seemingly no reason, The Tipsy Pixie worked to create a zombie from the remains of a recently slain pig and the still-beating heart of a mage named Stalos. 649 MR (2018-2019) 58 - Five Keys Due to Hollis' betrayal, Valar Reborn found themselves unable to draw upon deific healing... thus they set about capturing the traitor, intending to sever his connection to the Narga called Lokus. The Hounds Of Kree were ordered to destroy the undead pig created by The Tipsy Pixie, which they did with ruthless efficiency. Stalos scrabbled desperately to secure a new heart, lest his life come to a premature end. Light Camp, realizing that a demon named Tempus, an old foe, was dwelling within the Rhuu traveler Thyme, gathered pages from a holy tome that would help them perform an exorcism. The local arena was put to good use with a pair of tournaments, one for newcomers to The Vale, one for local veterans. The Taverner sent out investigators to uncover the truth about a sinister carnival, yet little success was achieved. In the final moments of the day, five lost keys were returned to their noble owner. 59 - The Hunt Several factions, including The Brotherhood Of the Kraken, Goodship Seasong, and newcomers The Order Of Silver, were sent to locate a rampaging griffon. Whilst roaming the local wilds, they did come across it's tracks... but they also discovered a vicious wendigo! The flesh-hungry monster followed them back to Tavern Town, where it preyed upon all who strayed close, disappearing like the wind whenever retaliation looked likely. It seemed none would be able to defeat it... A gang of "charm" mages, led by Günnar of The Kraken Brotherhood, were tasked by The Taverner to demonstrate the effectiveness of social sorcery. Whilst given instructions to bewitch key factions into fighting over a worthless cake, the mages instead convinced their targets that the cake would be somehow integral to defeating the wendigo... thus further impeding efforts to defeat the monster! Whilst chaos reigned elsewhere, Shadow's factions each captured a pair of prisoners, before setting them free... only to hunt them down again in a ritualistic fashion. The mercenary Gregor, one of the captives, earned Gideon's respect when he alone returned with his pursuer in chains! Light camp continued their attempts to exorcise Tempus, discovering that the demon had tortured their ally Hrafn. The Agrarian Fellowship briefly diverted their efforts, to capture an emergent portal... in doing so, they were forced to fight a snake-like demon, earning a holy weapon for their trouble. The Jackal, with the assistance of his followers The Hounds Of Kree, crusaded across The Vale, stripping necromancers of their unholy powers. In the very final moments of the day, the wendigo was brought down by Dorian of The Order Of Silver and Lucius of The Wayfarers; whilst The Black Thorns captured a second emergent portal, uncovering a fiery elemental and gaining a cache of immolation blades for themselves! Later that night, having located the griffon's nest, a large posse of adventurers slew the vicious beast. 60 - Of Tusks And Tears An Orc warchief named Grimbad Goretusk returns to Guardian Vale with his horde in tow. As the Orcs set about waylaying every traveler in sight (rather fruitlessly in most cases) and trying to capture foolish spellcasters with their offer to run a "mage school," the Jackal makes a proposition of his own... he informs all those who have been resurrected from death that he will be sending one of them to Kree by day's end! In a bid to hold onto his mortal existence, Kori of the Kraken Brotherhood (one of the resurrected) makes plans to bring Hrafn to the Jackal in his place... alas, when he announces this to Hrafn's allies, the love-sick Aurelia cuts him down, breaking her vow of non-violence to the Goddess Lianda! True to his word, the Jackal does send a soul to Kree... he chooses the Halfling named Axel, and thus two adventurers are lost in a single harrowing day. 4th Weekender - The Crucible Our adventurers are moved to investigate a new Weftward site; a heavily forested region surrounding a fort infested with cultists of Trarchor. The true draw however is not the cultists, nor their defenses, but rather a mystical forge that they seem to be guarding. Led by Gideon, Illir, and Jo'v, with plenty of helpful advice from a scout named Eli, the adventurers lay siege to the cultists and each other in mostly-good-natured competition, whilst uncovering powerful rituals and imbued crystals. When word gets out that the crystals can be added to the forge, causing random objects to become enchanted, efforts to claim the fort redouble. As the final night before their return journey looms, a curious anomaly takes place... time itself seems to warp, causing much confusion for our adventurers. Their confusion is no doubt compounded by the spiking of their food with hallucinogenic fey dust. On the final day, the time distortion reaches a crescendo, with our adventures seeming to fight three versions of the same explosive battle. As the third battle comes to a close, the Jackal appears, stealing away the mystical forge. Our adventurers are left battered, but temporally stable once more. 61 - Habeas Corpus After much preparation and gathering of clandestine allies, Tiberius attacked his old master, The Jackal, in the name of his God, Kree... alas, though brave, his efforts led to little more than torture within the Camp of Shadow, and his abduction by the Jackal. As these events unfolded, a headless horseman roamed The Vale, seeking aid from local adventurers. The Camp of Light sought to reunite the wanderer with their missing head, hoping to bring them peace and final rest, yet it was Gideon’s forces who sealed the horseman’s fate; by forging a cursed head from a pumpkin which, once attached, bound the poor undead to the worship of Juryath. Further drama struck Tavern Town, as a slew of adventurers found themselves afflicted with false and terrible thoughts... the culprit, a raven possessed by dozens of unfriendly ghosts, was caught twice yet attempts to dispel it (or its lies) failed miserably. At last, it was the Kraken Brotherhood who scared the ghosts out of the stricken bird, with a little dark magic... backed up by a fearsome display (and plenty of yelling)... A dozen new faces chose a chaotic time to arrive in the Vale, but made themselves most useful! They successfully stole trinkets, chased down a chicken thief, and tried to deliver a captive to The Taverner; though with his true quarry absent, several associates (even if they were not aware of the association) were beaten and dragged in instead... before being awarded a swift release. 62 - Ethereal Pulse Whilst adventurers taught each other dice games in Tavern Town, and local thieves swiped over half the Vale’s relics for sale to The Taverner, a slew of Mages investigated a curious bleed-through of energy from Nether. The Pixie named Blue was the first to uncover the cause, opening a portal to the realm of lost souls, and drawing forth the mighty relic hammer “Rise And Fall.” He swiftly found himself cornered however by forces of both the Gods and the Narga, and wisely chose to surrender the weapon to Althear, servant of Droqomet, in exchange for a common smithing hammer. “Rise And Fall” swapped hands many times as the day wore on, until finally ending up with yet another Pixie named Archa. The Tavern Guard found themselves quite busy… first they interrogated Blaire and Hollis about the supposed kidnapping of young noble Karissa; despite differing accounts and what seemed to be unnecessary lies, it was agreed that they had been saving her from a vampire named Dawn. Secondly, the Guard took custody of Artyom of Shadow, who was blinded by poison as a lesson for his stab-happy comrade Evelyn. In seeking to regain his sight, Artyom had a Healer fuse an ethereal eye to his own… the effects of this choice remain to be seen. Post-interrogation, Hollis took it upon himself to cleanse Guardian Vale by literally bathing other adventurers (sometimes by force), and to cheer up local children by placing an Undead named Cassius in a sack… onlookers could only scratch their heads in bemusement and confusion. The Voice Of Ruin and The Sentinel Of The Gods met in conference, as their troops set about their given tasks, gathering jinxed relic weapons and spreading rumors of a gathering Shifter army respectively. Newcomers to Light Camp, The Drunken Forgery, made a dramatic debut by destroying Galanath’s vampire gauntlets, his last physical link to Shadow… and also by securing a contract with the Blinded Boar to supply ale and Dwarvish onion gin. Stalos the wizard struggled to find something blue to appease his recently acquired Banshee bride, eventually accepting a donation of Fred the Ice Elementari’s arcane flesh. In the closing moments of the day The Hounds Of Kree and Agrarian Fellowship fought hard to secure the hill and it’s portal. 63 - Stolen Gifts The day opened with a trial for the Elementari, Fred, who attacked newcomer Malvolius and hurled a lightning spell in the tavern. Three more newcomers were enlisted as jurors, and upon hearing from both parties, decided that Malvolius was responsible for the brawl. Despite being warned to cease all agitative actions, Malvolius then proceeded to murder Goldyn, a healer of Kree, and take Etsy of Valar Reborn captive. Cataclysm of The Brotherhood Of The Kraken received a letter, warning him that his ship, The Feeble Backbone, had mutinied in his absence. He managed to gather seven adventurers, including a couple within his faction, to reclaim the vessel. Raven Company impressed The Taverner by reclaiming both of his stolen items; some keys and a statue... but unfortunately, Erembour the Cambion vanished with the statue again before day's end. Althear and the members of Skollsgraðr gave praise to Phlemortis by offering bundles of diseased lavender flowers, and sacrificing Atticus whilst tortured members of The Agrarian Brotherhood watched. The Vale's Healers worked hard to contain the resulting infections, and succeeded in halting them entirely. Atticus was later resurrected by Gilly. Both Valkyrie and Kára turned their backs on Kree and Balrof respectively, whilst The Order Of Silver and The Fury Lords helped Almira track a unicorn. Monterei Russeu won a melee tournament with trademark Murethi flair, a coded message in a local newsparchment threatened harm to Tavern Guard Vek, and Stalos appeased his new banshee wife with a noose of leather and a joke about hangings. At day's end, Ilona of Skollsgraðr was the only one upon the hill portal, and thus succeeded in collecting part of a devastating ritual. 64 - The Unseen A pack of Wraiths swept The Vale, searching for Artyom and his stolen ethereal eye. Unable to find him, they turned their baleful attention on all others to cross their path; interrupting battles left and right, and causing havoc during a tournament. The Cambion Erembour was captured with the help of a mage called Aemon, and subsequently interrogated by Vek of The Tavern Guard. A small flare up of disease distracted many, as Shadow Camp sought medicine to return Gideon's lost voice. Almira of Frael used the skills of several factions to design and construct a unicorn trap, but alas the trap was unsuccessful in holding the arcane beast. As a portal awakened upon the hill, adventurers converged, only to be faced once more by the Wraiths, who dragged a handful of their victims briefly into Nether. For the first time since his bizarre marriage, Stalos failed to impress the Banshee Taryn with his gift... her disappointment is sure to bring him suffering soon enough. 65 - Fire Rises A rabble rouser attempts to form a protest in Tavern Town, demanding that the Blinded Boar be theatrically dimmed. Others in the township hunt for three smuggled Dragon eggs. Archon Wood is successfully guarded by the forces of Light, as Shadow's cultists attempt to burn it down. In the final moments of the day, it is revealed that Gideon is leaving, soon to be replaced by a new Voice Of Ruin. 66 - Then There Were Five Guardian Vale finds itself now split between five camps. Light and Shadow remain, as does Tavern Town, though rather than hosting all neutral factions, the township has become a distinct power with dedicated protectors. Two new camps arise; The Circle, a gathering of studious arcanists, and The Clan, a roudy rabble of bandits and other free spirits. Shadow work to consecrate their land by command of their new Voice Of Ruin, Luther. Tavern Town's new loyalists fortify the township. The Circle, led by a High Elf calling herself The Elte, spread misinformation while studying their rivals. The Clan recieve their leader Djinndalah in a crate... yes, really. Finally, Light hunt for Undead, as their Sentinel directs them to take a more militant stance. 67 - Your Heart's Desire The forces of Shadow are urged to indulge in their desires, whilst also working to create a sinister love potion. The Clan set about gathering supplies for their fledgling camp. The Circle, less than impressed with Guardian Vale's violent history, conjure up a ritual to pacify combatants. Light Camp sanctify their forest, while attempting to sneak blessed items into Shadow Camp. Tavern Town's loyalist factions practice working together for a change, whilst a romantic play about "Redling's Kiss" is performed on the roof of The Blinded Boar. 68 - Confluence The Dragon Moon and Ghost Moon align, sending spirits upon the Field Of Ghosts into a frenzy, and empowering local Ashborn. Tavern Town attempts to fend off ghosts from the south, whilst Valar Reborn free an ancestral wraith from a pistol, and another play is performed, this one a spooky tale with a magical twist. The Clan make good use of the chaos, pestering everybody, and gathering ingredients for a love potion antidote. The Circle create a thaumaturgical cell, in the hopes of harnessing arcane energy from the lunar confluence. Shadow behave overly "nice" to their foes, whilst spreading love potions, binding frenzied ghosts, and hunting for Ashborn. Light likewise track the Ashborn cultists, and demonstrate their devotion to the Gods. 69 - Nothing Worth Having The Circle's thaumaturgical cell was constructed too well... it begins to drain the power from Mages and relics across The Vale. Timing could not be worse, as a heap of new relics siphon into the region. Tavern Town investigate the source of the magical disruption, eventually opting to trust The Circle the fix their mess (which they do). Jo'v also tasks his alchemists to find special blue fruits, intending to create a powerful warding draught against charm spells. Djinndalah urges her crew to find The Jackal's stolen mystical forge, and then defend it, revealing that she has ties to several powerful characters within Guardian Vale's recent history. Light Camp hunt for divine and ruinous relics, intending to empower the former and destroy the latter. Shadow continue their campaign of "niceness," and create an aegis of dark power to protect themselves from the effects of the cell. 70 - Mercurial Guardian Hill's sporadic portals have become stranger still. They have coalesced into a shimmering blue humanoid form, which dashes about the region, interacting with local adventurers. The Circle make it their business to study the "portal man." Tavern Town and The Camp Of Light bicker over possession of five divine scrolls, as Lifa the Elf runs a gambling competition. As The Taverner has yet to approach Luther directly, a choice seen as disrespectful to a chosen representative of the Narga, Shadow are tasked to insinuate themselves into Tavern Town's activities and flout the township's rules. 71 - Measure Twice, Cut Once Tavern Town's coffers are running dry, thus it's defenders are tasked to bring wealth into the township by any means neccesary. Simultaeneously, spies are tasked to place silver feathers in rival camps to allow Jo'v arcane insight into their activities. Shadow's adventurers are afflicted by Lokus' insanity, receiving visions, stealing indiscriminately, and behaving strangely, which forces Tavern Town to outlaw cultists of The Narga... this does not please Luther, who doubles down on Shadow's goal to disrupt Tavern Town. Light Camp, for Rilien, sneakily gather information on those who have wronged the camp. The Circle create a forcefield around their tents, keeping them safe from the danger outside. The Clan prey on stragglers torn between the various conflicts. 72 - Weftward Bound II The Blood Moon grows full as Guardian Vale's camps prepare for a journey Weftward. Shifters terrorize the region, with Shadow's cultists hunting them for a mysterious purpose. The Taverner and the latest Voice Of Ruin finally meet face to face and they agree to revert all hostility to "friendly competition." 5th Weekender - The Settler's Tragedy Guardian Vale's adventurers travelled Weftward, each camp pursuing a different goal. Light and Shadow, both visited by prophetic visions of a birth in blood soaked soil, sought to save or corrupt the possibly-metaphorical child. Tavern Town went to investigate the disappearance of settlers from a sister township. The Circle, upon feeling an arcane plea for help, strove to uncover it's source. The Clan followed in the wake of their rivals, seeking opportunities for plunder. Additionally, Thaedian legionnaires under the command of Legate Lithia arrived to stake their claim on the region. Upon arrival, the adventurers found themselves recruited to the cause of two opposing forces; Tarken, an aging Arkhosian mercenary, and Ulpia, an assassin who, with the help of her second Bella, strove to foil Tarken's plans of building a colony around the local fort. Shadow's cultists successfully traced the steps of a cultist of Lokus, uncovering a ritual to create a new Demon. Light found themselves torn between their duty and redeeming a friend afflicted with Ruinous power. Through an assortment of clues, The Circle concluded that a shard of Magic itself was buried beneath the old fort... thus explaining the arcane anomalies throughout the region. As the days wear on, it is revealed that Ulpia is in fact Gizel, daughter of Tarken, and the reason for her vengeful endeavor is that her father sold her into slavery many years ago. In a final climactic battle around the fort, Ulpia slays her wayward father, and Shadow's forces transform the trapped shard of Magic into a fledgling Demon! Thanks to the involvement of a Mage called Aemonn, the ritual is not completed without mishap however... the Demon is indeed born, yet with no loyalty to it's creators! The adventurers of Guardian Vale wisely choose to return home. 73 - The Devil's In The Details Knowing that an uncontrolled Demon could appear at any moment, the forces of Shadow worked to make their encampment invisible to the marauding entity. The forces of Light made their own preparations, forging a thousand geld worth of gold coins into a Demon-slaying sword for later use. The Circle experimented with casting bound sorcery back into the stream of Magic itself. The Clan horded a lion's share of livestock and other supplies, whilst Tavern Town spies strove to locate relics and a mercenary army was paid to test their martial forces. In the final moments of the day, a cursed and bleeding Mortimus thrust an explosive into Luther's chest; killing himself, a Cambion named Erembour, and seemingly The Voice Of Ruin too. 74 - An Elf Is Never Late The Elte, High Elf mistress of The Circle has vanished... a strange sorcerer calling themself Vyrion seems to have risen in her place. With their old leader gone, portals erupting all over, and Magic in a state of flux, The Circle go on a casting spree, filling Guardian Vale with spells. Luther's absense leads to further imbalance... bandits and monsters creep ever closer, threatening all with their predations. Tavern Town's soldiers attempt, unsuccessfully, to intimidate these threats by displaying their territorial presence with banners. The Clan sneaks away with a plethora of items from Tavern Town, though Casarn is eventually captured and made to run a gauntlet of gunfire. Shadow make preparations to send one of their own into Ruin itself, to retrieve their missing Voice Of Ruin. Despite the forces of Light hampering their efforts, Charybdis the Elementari is sacrificed to the nine hells, and Luther is pulled back into the mortal plane. 75 - Borrowed Time A new leader has emerged for The Circle; Vyrion, a strange eclectic human Mage. Likewise, a new sentinel arrives to guide the Camp Of Light; Solis, as they call themself, is met by suspicion from the Godly adventurers... but this does not last long. As the folk of Tavern Town set fire to nearby woods, hoping to drive out local bandits, a wandering troupe of Rhuu appears... the travellers are clearly afflicted by some terrible disease, and soon the whole Vale is swept up in attempting to cure it. In the end, The Circle are convinced that placing the Rhuu upon a portal will help, yet Luther takes this opportunity to wrest the disease from it's hosts before teleporting to Valar and unleashing it upon the populace. With Luther gone, Shadow must once more guide themselves... 76 - Games And Glory In a bizarre twist towards civility, the camps of Guardian Vale agree to a day of competitive games; Rhuu raft wresting, trollball, archery, and the like. Not that there is no drama however... members of the Clan declare the establishment of a township, mocking the folk of nearby Tavern Town. Divine healers are driven to gather trinkets for an altar, in the hopes of regaining their lost powers (a result of them doubting Solis). The Circle's intellectuals scurry about in search of answers to Vyrion's riddles. Finally, the day ends not with a mad blood-thirsty dash to capture a portal... but rather with a dance party! 77 - With Every Action Having recieved a mysterious letter from an as yet unknown Voice Of Ruin, the forces of Shadow set about capturing faction leaders and collecting blood for a ritual; the resulting sorcery forces a Tavern Guard to believe she is a rabbit, and an Agrarian to believe his skin has dissapeared. The Clan band together with The Circle, helping them form new factions, and to study the dark sorcery swirling about... whilst also robbing their hosts blind. Ifer, so called Mayor of Clan Town, finds himself escorted by several Tavern Town adventurers, claiming to offer their expertise in upholding town laws... whilst making his life an inconvenient hell. The Mircea Rhuu, no longer afflicted by disease, seek revenge for the burning of a Rhuu corpse, by removing Wezab's pinkie finger. Meanwhile, the Camp of Light and Tavern Town come to blows when The Sentinel declares a debt of 200g owed by the township for burning nearby woods. 650MR (2019-2020) 78 - The Winner Takes It All What begins as a day of thanks and reflection, ushering in the new year, soon turns to a desperate fight for survival. The demon conjured by Shadow when last they ventured Weftward enters Guardian Vale, an enslaved family in tow, searching for the mask to which it is tethered. As the Camp of Light works to create a demon-slaying weapon, and Tavern Town attempts to slow the rampage... Shadow are drafted into their creation's service, The Circle deal with an outbreak of unholy sickness, and the Clan are caught in the overall crossfire. Eventually the demon does retrieve it's mask, growing immensely powerful, but in the closing moments of the day it is swarmed by attackers and it's host body (an undead adventurer named Dawn) is slain. 79 - An Orc, A Dwarf, And A Barbarian Walk Into A Bar... Due to the events of the previous game, all silver has been turned to gold! While most would see this as a wonderful occurence... The Blood Moon has grown full, forcing Shifters to take on their berserk bestial forms, and with no silver our adventurers find themselves at quite the disadvantage! With howling mayhem all around, Tavern Town hunts for a shipment of silver ore to try and make weapons, The Clan and Shadow Camp (led by an odd new Voice Of Ruin named Jan) vie for possession of some curious sprite-like critters, The Camp of Light attempt to reverse the shift, and The Circle get their studious noses in everybody else's business. 6th Weekender - Carnivále Guardian Vale's adventurers head back to New Hearth (the site of the last weekender) upon hearing news of a mysterious carnival parked atop the old fort. As the plot begins, the adventurers realize they can win fantastic items from the carnival... this sets in motion a whirl of backstabbing, theft, and pranks, which brings the encampments to blows on many occasions. Making matters worse, several monsters make appearances; a vampire lord, a Pharidae mummy, a Shard Hound with power over regular Shifters, a teleporting kleptomaniac Gremlin, and even a Flesh Golem created by a mad alchemist. On the final day the monsters converge, sparking an enormous, chaotic battle. Finally, as the adventurers turn for home, they discover that their sorcery and healing powers are fading... and that many of their hard won carnival items are starting to crumble and dissolve. They have been tricked! 80 - Kings And Paupers As Tavern Town hosts a reenactment of a famous Arkhosian battle, Shadow work to release The Bandit King "Jan" from the effects of a love potion, and The Circle make use of arcane crystals to restore both magic and deific assistance to The Vale. 81 - I Put A Spell On You Although supernatural powers have indeed returned, several abnormalities have appeared. Jo'v tasks his townsfolk with the recovery of five Elven wards which have attached themselves to local adventurers. The camps of Light and Shadow vie for ice-cold rings left behind by a swarm of ghosts. The Clan do their best to direct Tavern Town's ire towards other camps, through theft and misdirection. The Circle, hypothesizing that their recent efforts might have caused this strangeness, search for vials of thaumaturgical fluid in an effort to stabilize the area. 82 - The Stirring The Circle and The Clan team up to gather Spellstones and blackpowder for an explosive experiment. Both Shadow and Light, sensing imminent danger, work to stop the experiment. Meanwhile, Tavern Town is soaked in arcane energy, and some newcomers are tasked to create a beacon, summoning one of Jo'v's oldest contacts to fix the issue... 83 - Dreams Of Giants ??? 84 - The Hand That Feeds ???